


Cold Comfort

by brooksey



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Illnesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-27
Updated: 2014-09-27
Packaged: 2018-02-18 22:45:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2364755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brooksey/pseuds/brooksey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every day she walks through the door, Shepard is grateful. Grateful that Thane is there to greet her, when they had both been so sure she would lose him.  So when she gets back from a trip to Earth and hears the coughing, she panics.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> Fill for the Mass Effect Kink Meme.
> 
> Original prompt:  
> "LI is suddenly hit by some type of fast acting sickness with pretty strong/nasty symptoms. Pre-established relationship Shepard worries accordingly. Would like to see a Shrios fill where Thane is no longer ill with Kepral's."

Every day she walks through the door, Shepard is grateful. Grateful that Thane is there to greet her, when they had both been so sure she would lose him. Grateful that the moment is over, that moment of worry that always rises up, that she'll open the door and no one will be there. And every time she comes home and sees him waiting, she is relieved.

So when she gets back from a trip to Earth and walks into an empty room, disconcertingly silent, the ever-present seed of fear blooms in her belly. Then she hears the coughing, and she panics.

Rushing to the back of the apartment, she finds Thane collapsed in bed, face down, barely visible beneath the covers. His brilliant green scales have taken on a sickly yellow tinge. He is coughing, he is quivering, and he is chilled to the bone. He's been doing so well since the transplant, always looking so healthy, that seeing him like this steals the breath from her lungs.

"Thane? Thane!" She shakes his shoulder, probably harder than she ought to, but right now she can't help herself.

"Siha," he says slowly, "you're back. I'm afraid I'm not in the best state to welcome you home."

"Never mind that. What's wrong? I only left yesterday morning and you were fine. How long has this been going on?" She's touching him all over as she speaks -- his forehead, his arm, lacing her fingers with his.

"Last night, I wasn't feeling like myself," he replies. "This morning, I... it was worse."

She curses under her breath. Whatever this is, it must be serious if it hit him this hard, this fast, and she's terrified of what it might mean. She's just about to speak again when he's wracked with a coughing fit, so strong he's barely able to draw in any air in the lulls. Her fear grows as he struggles; everything she's ever read on the extranet about drell medical conditions is flashing through her mind.

All she can do is try to help him through it, rubbing his back and murmuring softly to him until the spasms pass. As she sits next to him, her hand still sliding in gentle circles over his skin, she notes how cold he is, that she can feel shivers traveling up and down his body. His breathing is rough and shallow, labored enough to scare her. 

Ignoring his weak protests, she calls someone over from Huerta. She paces nervously in the room until the doctor has finished.

"Is he all right? Is the Kepral's coming back?" She peppers the salarian physician with questions the instant they close the bedroom door behind them.

"No, not Kepral's. Effectively, he has the flu."

"The flu?" she asks, confused. "Like the human flu?"

The salarian shakes his head. "Not exactly, but the symptoms are similar: cough, body aches, chills. Unfortunately, drell are particularly hard-hit by this type of illness. You'll need to keep an eye on him, especially the chills. The medication I've given him should start to take effect by morning, but until then he will be... uncomfortable." 

Shepard nods, and the doctor pauses. "Commander, do your best to keep him warm. He's in for a difficult night."

The front door has barely closed when Shepard hurries back into the bedroom. The coughing has stopped, but his breathing sounds no better. She throws an extra blanket over the bed before stripping off her clothes and slipping between the sheets. His skin is like ice when she curls up behind him, pressing herself to him in an attempt to share what heat she has.

"Hey. The doctor said you'll be feeling better soon," she murmurs against his back. "Is there anything I can do for you? Tea with honey? Chicken soup?"

"They help heal you?"

"Not really," she admits, "but they're classic remedies back on Earth anyway."

He turns his head toward her slightly for a moment, then drops it back on the pillow. "Humans are strange."

A small smile touches her face at that, and she tries to lighten the mood. "How about a year's subscription to Fornax? That ought to keep you warm."

_"Shepard."_

"Okay, okay. Maybe I can just stay right here and we'll take a nap?" she offers, and he nods acceptance.

Thane falls asleep quickly, exhausted, and she slips out from under the covers but doesn't leave the bed, wanting to be close in case he needs her. He's so peaceful that she starts to hope he'll sleep through the worst of it, but after a few hours, he starts shivering so badly he wakes himself up. Immediately, he curls into a ball, the shaking violent enough that she can feel it through the mattress.

Sliding back in next to him, she pulls the blankets around them, rubs his arms trying to get him warm. Nothing she does helps, and the chills get worse. His scales have turned pale and she hears what sounds like a whimper; seeing him like this brings tears to her eyes. There's one more thing she can think to try, and she hates the idea, but she can't stand to let him suffer anymore.

The shower steams up immediately after she turns the tap on to its hottest. She's willing to sling Thane over her shoulder if she has to, but he's able to muster enough strength to creep into the bathroom with her support. Quickly stripping him of what clothing he's wearing, she pulls him in and slips her arms around his waist, the hot water pounding down on his back.

His chin rests on her shoulder and he's practically limp in her arms, still shuddering and coughing, but he manages to stay on his feet. Slowly, as they're immersed in heat, his color gets brighter again and the shivering subsides. They stand under the shower until she's lost track of time, all the while worrying about what damage the humidity might be doing to his lungs.

Eventually, his breathing becomes easier, more regular, and she feels his arms tighten around her. Pleased he has a little strength back, she turns off the water before it starts to run cold. He's able to stand straighter while she dries him off and leads him back to bed, a trail of droplets from her wet hair scattered behind them on the floor. 

"Better?" she whispers, tucking him into the blankets. He nods faintly and tugs on her wrist, trying to pull her into bed with him, and she joins him after drying herself. She cups his body with hers, kisses the back of his neck, and traces her fingers over his shoulders until he sinks back into sleep. 

Her night is spent lying awake next to him, holding him close to ward off the chills and listening to the rhythm of his breathing. Thoughts of what might have happened had she not come home when she did churn through her mind and push away sleep. Even if she could, she needs to stay up and be sure Thane is all right.

The joined heat of their bodies shores him up, and as the night cycle wanes, he rests comfortably once more. It's been a couple of hours since he last woke up shivering when he stirs, gently this time, and rolls to face her.

"Siha," he says quietly, "have you been awake all night?" Calloused fingers lightly draw a line from her cheekbone to her jaw.

"Yes. I had to be sure you were okay."

"I am now," he tells her.

She sighs and wraps her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest, relishing the feeling of his skin, no longer cold. "Thank god. You scared me, Thane. For a while there, I thought..."

He kisses her softly and cuts her off. "I know."

"Promise you won't leave me?" The question is muffled; her face is still pressed to his body.

"Never."


End file.
